Dora the Explorer Takes the Lead as Sales Growth Elevates Property to Megabrand Status as Number One Toy License in 2006

NEW YORK, Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Nickelodeon, the number one entertainment brand for kids and home to today's most popular characters, comes to Toy Fair with its lead licensed property and preschool phenomenon, Dora the Explorer, continuing to make toy and licensing history. According to industry experts, The NPD Group, holiday 2006 sales propelled Dora into the number one slot as the year's top toy license. At Toy Fair, a number of key licensees including master toy partner Fisher-Price will showcase an expanded range of Dora the Explorer products that encompasses new play patterns and broader price points.

Nickelodeon welcomes to Toy Fair four new additions to its prestigious toy partner line-up with the introduction of new licensees CDI/Jakks, Mega Bloks, RC2 and Imperial Toy. From construction toys to role play and novelty toys, these companies will introduce a wide range of toys entering more channels of distribution than ever before with some of the world's most popular brands like Go, Diego, Go!, SpongeBob SquarePants, Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Backyardigans leading the way. These industry leaders join Nickelodeon's growing network of licensees committed to supporting the imagination and creativity of children worldwide.

"Nickelodeon, with top-selling mega brands like Dora the Explorer, is the dominant force in pre-school licensed toys," said Leigh Anne Brodsky, President, Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products. "With the highest ranked preschool shows on commercial television, we're expanding our properties in new directions and bringing kids more of the characters they love. Last year's launches of Go, Diego Go!, The Backyardigans and Avatar had great success and this year's Toy Fair will continue their momentum." Brodsky added, "The popularity for everyone's favorite, SpongeBob, is at an all-time high and we're excited about the launch of Hasbro's Operation SpongeBob SquarePants. It's a marriage of two classics that go together like peanut butter and jelly."

  Nickelodeon Toy Fair Highlights:

  Dora the Explorer

Nick Jr.'s superstar Latina heroine, Dora the Explorer, is hotter than ever! Now in her fifth year of licensed product and with more than $5.3 billion in retail sales under her belt, Dora has made the transition from top seller to global mega brand. Dora product will be making a big splash at this year's Toy Fair. The property led 2006 sales with Fisher-Price's Dora Talking Cash Register and Fairy Wishes Dora seen as two of the most popular toys of the season. This year's line-up is anticipated to be Dora's biggest ever. In 2007, the franchise will hit new heights with added products and play patterns including make-believe dress-up, role play and building sets. New products include:

  Fisher-Price:
  -- Dora Let's Get Ready Vanity:  Sure to charm girls and parents alike,
     it's a vanity with a true Dora difference! Features fiesta adventure
     cards, bilingual interactive phrases and object recognition.
  -- Sparkle And Twirl Mermaid Dora: A new toy that puts a new "spin" on
     every girl's favorite character. When kids put Dora into her special
     shell base, she magically starts to twirl around, her arms raise, her
     tail magically grows, and sound effects will play as she transforms
     into a magical mermaid.
  -- Talking Friendship Adventures Dora: Every preschool girl can have a
     "same size" friend with the new life-sized 34" tall doll who can speak
     70 bilingual interactive phrases.
  -- Dora Friendship Adventure Game (For Smart Cycle(TM)): A Dora focused
     adventure and environment for Fisher-Price's new Smart Cycle, which
     encourages an active, healthy lifestyle for kids. Smart Cycle is an
     innovative plug-and-play toy that combines physical play with learning
     for preschoolers. The Dora Friendship Adventure Game lets kids pedal
     and steer their "on-screen vehicle" through both active and learning-
     focused Dora play modes.

  CDI/Jakks:
  -- Dora the Explorer Fairytale Adventure Dress; Mermaid Adventure Dress;
     and Dance to the Rescue Dress: Three great new dress up sets sure to
     capture preschooler's love of make-believe adventures.

  Spinmaster:
  -- Dora the Explorer Dance-Along Musical Adventure: A dress up toy with an
     instructional DVD that allows girls to actually go on an adventure with
     Dora.

  Moose Mountain:
  -- Dora & Diego Bouncing Pony Ride:  Dora teams up with her popular cousin
     Diego. Children can play with their two favorite bilingual Nick Jr.
     characters as they embark on a Wild West bouncing pony ride which
     sports an extra wide base for enhanced stability and a newly designed
     safer patent-pending internal spring system that eliminates exposed
     springs.


  Go, Diego, Go!

Like his cousin Dora, eight-year-old Diego is a favorite of preschoolers everywhere and one of the top three shows on all of commercial television among kids 2-5. With nearly 20 million monthly viewers*, Go, Diego, Go! toys launched in 2006 with great success. Nickelodeon will expand the merchandising program greatly in 2007 to include new die-cast vehicles, wood toys, building sets and water toys. In 2006 Diego's Talking Rescue Center became one of the most sought after holiday toys and earned "Best Toy" accolades from Parents Magazine, Family Fun Magazine and the New York Daily News. Sure to drive Diego's popularity in 2007 is the recently launched Go, Diego, Go! Live tour, which will visit 50 markets nationwide. The live show opened this month to rave reviews and enthusiastic crowds.

  Fisher-Price:
  -- Go, Diego, Go! Mobile Rescue Unit: Three toys in one; a kid-tough
     truck; an operations base; and a launch pad. With 50 animal rescue
     missions, lights, sounds and bilingual interactivity, it's the ultimate
     toy for preschool boys.
  -- Rescue A Friend Assortment:  The friend assortment features six
     interactive poseable animals that can thank little rescuers for coming
     to their aid!
  -- Go, Diego, Go! Animal Caller: Featuring speech changing technology that
     translates speech to animal sounds.

  Mega Bloks:
  -- Go, Diego, Go! Activity Building Sets: Both the Diego Rainforest Rescue
     and the Diego Animal Rescue Center feature incredible attention to
     detail including fully articulated Diego figurines and adventure
     activity cards that allows kids to build and create their own Diego
     adventures.

  Jakks Pacific:
  -- Go, Diego, Go! SharpNoodle: Jakks' brand new one stop plug & play
     learning system "goes wild" with this Diego title that introduces kids
     to wildlife animals while teaching letters and phonics in four
     adventures.


  The Backyardigans

This hit Nick Jr. show is a CGI-animated musical adventure series that follows five high-spirited preschool friends who go on imagination-fueled adventures that transform their backyards into epic worlds of fantasy.

Each episode is richly animated and features a variety of songs from different musical genres, including swing, reggae, funk, and more, and true choreographed dance moves by former Alvin Ailey dance choreographer Beth Bogush. Fisher-Price led the way in 2006, with the irresistible Sing & Spin Pablo.

  Fisher-Price:
  -- The Backyardigans Bobblin' Big Top Playset: Enticing kids to "clown
     around," it's a three ring talking circus that magically transforms
     from an initial backyard mode.

  Play-Doh:
  -- Backyardigans Playset: Kids can get creative with this new PLAY-DOH
     play-set featuring Pablo, Tyrone and Uniqua. There are endless
     adventures sculpting the colorful compound into endless shapes and
     molds.


  Avatar, The Last Airbender

Avatar is a breakthrough hit for kids 6-11, ranking as the number-one animated program with tween boys 9-14**. The Asian-inspired series is an epic story that follows Aang, a 12-year-old boy torn between fulfilling his fate as the long-awaited Avatar and just wanting to be a regular kid during a time of war. Avatar's initial toy line launched to great acclaim with a number of highly unique action/adventure toys from Mattel that encouraged role-play. One of the strong suits of the brand has always been the skilled "bending" moves inspired and choreographed by actual martial arts experts.

  Mattel:
  -- Aang's Waterbending Blaster:  Kids can emulate their hero by mastering
     the art of air bending in their own backyard! Launches mighty
     waterblasts or ice darts.
  -- Animal Armor Deluxe Figure Assortment: For the first time, Avatar
     incorporates battle features into six inch scale figures, bringing the
     action inside the figure at the touch of a button. Assortment includes
     Dragon Armor Aang, Rhino Armor Zuko, and Wolf Armor Sokka.
  -- Battle Launchers Assortment: Bring the flying action and bending
     excitement to life with the battle launchers. Aang soars 20 feet along
     with sound effects and phrases. Includes Aang, Momo, Zuko and Fire
     Hawk.


  SpongeBob SquarePants

The world famous yellow sponge has proven to be super absorbent at retail with more than $6.3 billion in retail sales to date. SpongeBob SquarePants is the most-watched kids show in history. With nearly 70 million monthly viewers***, SpongeBob recently had the "best day ever" with a 24-hour marathon that gave Nickelodeon its highest rated day in history. SpongeBob's massive success is largely due to appeal that cuts across gender and age groups. No competitive brand has the appeal and scope of the one and only SpongeBob SquarePants.

  Hasbro
  -- Operation SpongeBob SquarePants: An updated version of the classic
     board game with a distinct Bikini Bottom twist -- and the original
     games signature lights and buzzers. Bringing the two hits together is a
     perfect fit!

  Lego:
  -- SpongeBob SquarePants Chum Bucket and Mrs. Puff's Boating School:
     Expanding on the recent SpongeBob/Lego best-selling product, these new
     sets are designed to let your child aid SpongeBob in scenarios commonly
     shown on the popular show such as foiling Plankton's zany schemes to
     steal the recipe for Krabby Patties as well as helping SpongeBob in his
     never-ending quest to pass his boat driving exam.

  Fisher-Price:
  -- SpongeBob's Ocean Adventure Game (For Smart Cycle(TM)): A
     SpongeBob focused adventure and environment for Fisher-Price's new
     Smart Cycle which encourages an active, healthy lifestyle for kids.
     Smart Cycle is an innovative plug-and-play toy that combines physical
     play with learning for preschoolers. The SpongeBob Ocean Adventure Game
     lets kids pedal and steer their "on-screen vehicle" through both active
     and learning-focused SpongeBob play modes.

To view exciting Nickelodeon licensed product during Toy Fair please contact the following licensees directly

  Basic Fun
  Michelle Doyka
  215-364-1665 x125

  Cardinal
  Joel Berger
  718.784.3000

  Colorbok
  Suzy Brown
  520-749-2062 x103

  Crayola
  Susan Tucker
  610-253-6272

  Disquise
  Stephen Stanley
  858-391-3600

  Fisher-Price
  Ellie Bagli
  973-470-0400

  Franklin Sports
  Chuck Quinn
  781-344-1111

  Hasbro Games
  Pat Riso
  413-526-2703

  Imperial
  Tim Thompson
  213-489-2100

  Jakks Pacific
  Genna Rosenberg
  310-455-6235

  KiddieLand
  Kenneth Lo
  01 852 2116 3019

  Kidz Craze
  Tina Agostinello
  516-931-3600

  LEGO
  Michael McNally
  860-763-6731

  Little Kids
  Lisa St.Peter
  401-454-7600

  Little Tikes
  Frank Shorf
  330-650-3180

  Mattel
  Michele Sturdivant
  310-252-4374

  Moose Mountain
  Ron Lokos
  973-884-8900

  Ohio Art
  Lauren Grande
  212-777-2220 x17

  Play-Doh
  Gail Carveli
  401-727-5318

  Playhut
  Maggie Young
  818-591-0093

  Spin Master
  Ashley Elborne
  416-364-6002 x 420

  Ty
  Scott Wehrs
  630-455-7716

  Upper Deck
  Claudine Ricanor
  760-603-7458

  Vtech
  Julia Fitzgerald
  847-400-3512

  Wild Planet
  Jeff Clearly
  415-705-8300


  About Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products

Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products manages the third largest licensing business in the world and represents such properties as SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer. The department handles the merchandising for Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, Comedy Central, MTVN International, and Spike TV.

Nickelodeon, in its 27th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in almost 92 million households and has been the number-one- rated basic cable network for almost 12 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA) .

  *   Nielsen Media Cume Data Feb /May/July/Nov 2006
  **  Nielsen Media Research 4Q 2006
  *** Nielsen Cume Data - November 2006